Do you ever find yourself stuck with nothing to make for dinner? Maybe ordering takeout just a little too often? Cooking from your pantry is one way to help ensure that you always have something on hand to throw together for a delicious meal.
Pantry cooking means that you can stock up on some basics and be prepared for any occasion, including just “hey I forgot to plan dinner”.
Cooking from Your Pantry
Remember when this crazy pandemic first began? There were people rushing to stock up on food and stores were selling out quickly. This often happens when big storms are predicted too. Imagine not having to rush to the store again because you have items on hand all the time.
Just getting started with building your pantry up and cooking from your pantry? Try adding a few items each time you shop and over time, you’ll build up a store of items you can rely on.
Zero Points Weight Watchers Freestyle Chili Recipe by Creative Cynchronicity
If you’ve got some kind of meat on hand or have leftover meat, you can add it. Otherwise, this can be an entirely vegetarian recipe all made with items from your pantry!
5-Ingredient Meatballs by Pillsbury
Simple basic meatballs. We make up big batches of these and store them in our freezer. It’s so easy then to build a meal around them anytime. Bonus – they thaw really quickly!
Taco Mac ‘n’ Cheese by I Wash You Dry
Can you see the boxed macaroni and cheese in there? Yep. That’s the foundation of this recipe, making it another perfect cooking from your pantry kind of recipe.
Tomato Spinach Tortellini Soup by Creme De La Crumb
Keep a pack or two of tortellini in your freezer. It has so many possibilities including this hearty soup.
Neapolitan Layered Pasta Casserole by Creative Cynchronicity
Okay, this one is an incredibly family-friendly recipe that we serve all the time! Keep cheese and butter in the freezer and the rest is from your pantry! Delicious! (Meat-free but you can always add leftover meat and veggies if you want to take it to the next level, but we love it as is)
Canned Salmon Salad by iFood Real
Canned fish is a game-changer when it comes to creating recipes from pantry items! Salmon and tuna are staples.
Cacio e Pepe by Gimme Some Oven
We love love love cacio e pepe. It’s so quick and so easy, but it’s the perfect comfort food. Most of the ingredients can be kept on hand in your pantry so it’s a great last-minute dinner idea!
Tuna Patties by Simply Recipes
This is a classic recipe that is SO easy to make. Serve with some rice or noodles and a vegetable and you can have a complete meal from your pantry.
Marinated White Beans by How Sweet Eats
Keep some dried or canned beans on hand for a multitude of recipes. You can even buy canned mixed beans and simply add your own seasonings to turn them into a marinated salad like this.
BBQ Beef Nachos by Good Housekeeping
Okay, you might think this one is a little trickier. After all, tortilla chips go stale! Well, grab some tortillas and store them in the freezer. You can then easily make your own tortilla chips in the oven or air fryer! And did you know that you can store cheese in the freezer? YES! It changes the texture a bit so we don’t recommend using frozen cheese for snacking on with crackers, but it’s perfect to add to dishes like this.
Puttanesca by Food Network
Another great pasta dish that relies on pantry ingredients. It’s delicious and decadent but oh so easy to make.
Pierogi Casserole by Creative Cynchronicity
If you like pierogies, you are going to love this pierogi-style lasagna casserole. Cheese and bacon from the freezer and most of the rest comes from your pantry to make this super simple meal.
Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwiches by The Kitchn
These look so yummy and so easy to make. The one non-pantry item it uses is yogurt. Did you know that you can freeze yogurt? We freeze it in ice cube trays so we can then just pull out a portion or two at a time!
5 Soup Pasta by Simply Stacie
The yumminess in this recipe comes from the combination of FIVE different soups. It’s a must-try
!
Easy Canned Tuna Pasta by Salt and Lavender
Another canned fish recipe – super simple and so tasty! These are great ones to add to your pantry cooking inventory.
There you go. You have a whole collection to get you started with pantry cooking. You’ll be ready for anything!
